Drug companies have voluntarily withdrawn over-the-counter cough and cold medicines for children under 2 years old, after federal regulators and private doctors warned of potential health risks to infants and toddlers.

A man crashed into two parked cars in North Portland and nearly severed a woman’s legs on Saturday, October 27th, 2007. The auto accident caused the woman to be pinned between both vehicles, and as a result, her legs were crushed.

According to King5.com, the accident occurred just before 5:30pm in the 7700 block of North Chautauqua Boulevard in North Portland. The 47 year old woman was standing between two parked cars when a pickup truck hit the car behind her. The woman was sandwiched between the two vehicles.

Following an uproar over attempts to keep the public from learning of serious medical errors, the Washington State Hospital Association (WSHA) has reversed its position on reporting mistakes.

According to The Spokane Review, the WSHA now advocates the disclosure of errors, such as operating on the wrong part of the body, as long as the report includes an explanation of why and how the mistakes occurred. This is a change that would require legislative action.

According to www.king5.com , an Everett man is suing ConAgra Foods. He says a Banquet chicken pot pie contaminated with salmonella made his 2-year old daughter sick. ConAgra, Banquet’s parent company, has recalled the pies due to hundreds of reports of salmonella poisoning associated with the pot pies.

Though the 2-year old improved, her father realized her case was one of more than 200 in 34 states thought to be related to the salmonella outbreak. According to the State Department of Health, at least 14 cases of salmonella poisoning connected to the outbreak are here in Washington State. Regarding suing ConAgra, the father said, “I feel confident that this is the right thing to do. It’s a shame that this is what it takes for them to realize what’s going on.”

Sprint Fidelis defibrillation leads made by Medtronic Inc have been removed from the market, due to five patient deaths linked to these devices, as well as other serious complications caused to patients.

A defibrillator is used to regulate a person’s heartbeat. When it senses an abnormal heart rhythm, it then delivers an electronic shock to reset the heart to a normal beat. If there is a fracture in the lead, it can cause the defibrillator to send unnecessary shocks to the heart, or fail to work at all.

Blocked vision and dark outfits are not the only dangers to be concerned about when choosing a Halloween costume for you or your child. Just as there are toys which have recently been recalled for toxic dangers, Halloween costumes are proving to be a potential hazard as well.

According to a report on www.king5.com , Halloween items that were purchased from a variety of outlets, including Fred Meyer, Halloween Express, and Value Village, were taken to the Washington Toxics Coalition, which uses an X-ray gun to detect toxins. Lead was found right away.

In one costume made by Fun World which contained a medallion to be worn around a child’s neck, 121 parts-per-million of lead was detected. Lead was also found in “Little Brat” party favors, skull bracelet, and pirate sword. Some of the chemicals found in items are associated with toxins like Phthalates that are linked to male reproductive and asthma problems. Erika Schreder, of the Washington Toxics Coalition stated, “I would personally be concerned about a child wearing a PVC mask that they would be getting exposed to phthalates.”